Learn with Us

• Hattie Meadows Gardening School: In honor of beloved Durham gardener Hattie Meadows, the community is invited to take part in the new Hattie Meadows Gardening School at the Stanford L. Warren Branch Library. This free community learning series is a partnership between Durham Cooperative Extension, Durham County Library, and Sarah P. Duke Gardens. Monthly classes will feature local teachers and gardening experts sharing practical knowledge on a wide range of gardening topics. It is perfect for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Classes are free but registration is required.
  • Design Thinking, Saturday, February 14th, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    • Presented by Stefan Bloodworth, Owner and Principal Designer at S3 design and former curator of the Blomquist Garden of Native Plants at Sarah P. Duke Gardens
  • Garden Design with Native Plants, Saturday, February 28, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
    • Presented by Sheldon Galloway, Owner and Head of Operations at Garden Environments
  • Vegetable Gardening Symposium, Saturday, March 14, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
    • For this special half-day symposium, we’ll feature three speakers with a little something for everyone, from beginner to experienced veggie grower. Click above to register for the fully symposium.

Fresh flowers from the garden. (Image credit: Marcia Kirinus)

• Durham Garden Forum
  • Cut Flowers: From the first seed to the final bouquet. Feb 17, 7:00-8:30
    • With Marcia Kirinus, Owner of Durham Flower Farm, Learn how to prepare a flower bed, sow seeds at the proper time of year and reap blossoms for your vase all season long. This is a zoom event. For more information contact: durhamgardenforum@gmail.com

Learn with our Community Friends

(Image credit: JC Raulston Arboretum)

• North Carolina Botanical Garden
  • Darwin Day Lecture 2026; Thursday, February 12, 20267:00 PM-8:00 PM
    • ‘Damned beastly devilment:’ Charles Darwin’s dalliance with vertebrate fossils during the voyage of the Beagle;
      • with Paul Brinkman, Environmental Humanities Research Lab Head and Curator of Special Collections, NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Moderated by Damon Waitt, NCBG Director. Click here for more info and to register.

• JC Raulston Arboretum
  • Propagation Workshop; Beginner Hardwood Cuttings.
  • Friday, February 6, 2026 – 1:30 pm–4:30 pm
    • With Sophia McCusker, Nursery Technician. Hands-on workshop to learn the basics about propagating woody ornamental plants by stem cuttings. Click here for more info and to register.
  • Propagation Workshop; Advanced Hardwood Cuttings.
  • Saturday, February 7, 2026 – 8:30 am–12:30 pm
    • With Tim Alderton, Research Technician. This workshop is for more experienced gardeners with propagation experience and participants of past propagation workshops. Click here for more info and to register.
  • Winter Symposium and Rare & Unusual Plant Auction; Gardening with Gusto.
  • Saturday, February 21, 2026 – 9:00 am–12:30 pm
    • With Anne Spafford and Dan Benarcik. This symposium is for anyone who loves plants and gardening—whether you’re just starting out or have spent years nurturing your landscape. Through a series of engaging presentations from passionate horticulturists, you’ll be reminded why gardening captures our hearts and how it continues to connect us to nature, our communities, and each other. Click here for more info and to register.
  • Early Spring Pruning Workshop;
  • Saturday, February 28, 2026 – 10:00 am–2:30 pm
    • Join Bryce Lane for this hands-on workshop where you’ll learn how to make every cut count—transforming pruning from a chore you dread into a confident, creative act that sets your garden up for success. Click here for more info and to register.

• Sarah P. Duke Gardens
  • The Earthen Door: Recreating Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium.
  • February 6, 202612:00 pm – 1:00 pm
    •  Join artists Leah Sobsey and Amanda Marchand for a virtual presentation on anthotype, an early plant-based photographic process. This collaborative project—at the intersection of art, science, and literature—draws inspiration from Emily Dickinson’s flower sampler. Click here for more info and to register.
  • Salamander Studies in Duke Forest:
  • February 17, 20262:00 pm – 4:00 pm
  • February 21, 20269:30 am – 11:30 am
    • Join Dr. Ron Grunwald, Duke Department of Biology, to look for these “cool” amphibians in Duke Forest, where you might see woodland red-back salamanders in the woods and two-lined and dusky salamanders in the stream. Learn about ongoing salamander studies and the habitats different salamander species rely on for their life cycles. Be prepared for a walk on the forest floor and to dip your toes in a rocky creek. Click here for more info and to register.
  • Japanese Tea Gathering: First Breath of Spring
  • February 27, 202611:45 am – 1:15 pm
  • February 28, 202611:45 am – 1:15 pm
  • February 28, 20261:45 pm – 3:15 pm
    • With tea master Chizuko Sueyoshi and members of the Japanese Tea Practitioners of Durham. Enjoy a moment of respite in the Duke Gardens teahouse, where you will experience the centering calm of a Japanese tea gathering in the Urasenke tradition. Enjoy the aesthetics, poetry and serenity of this rich tradition over an enticing bowl of whisked green tea and a Japanese confection.  Guests will be escorted on a 15-minute walk to the teahouse, where seating is on the floor unless a chair is requested upon registration. Click here for more info and to register.  

• Durham County Public Library
• Winter Sowing Workshop
• Saturday, January 31, 2026, 2:00pm – 3:00pm
  • Sow native seeds in milk jugs this winter and have hardy seedlings to transplant this spring.  The Durham County Master Gardener program and the New Hope Bird Alliance will be offering a hands-on workshop to  learn about winter sowing. All supplies will be provided, including a selection of native seeds. However, you are welcome to bring native seeds you have saved or purchased for sowing. Non-native seeds usually grow best if you wait until after the last frost date to plant them. 
  • Click here for more info and to register.

Edited by Marcia Kirinus, NC State Extension Master Gardener^SM volunteer of Durham County

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